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A Life of Bishop John A.T. Robinson: Scholar, Pastor, Prophet
1st Ed. (U.S.), Fine/VG A tapemend on inside 1-1/2" & 1/2" DJ tear at top rear edge, o.w. clean, tight & bright. NO ink names, bookplates etc. ISBN 0802836518
340 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
About the author
Eric James
14 booksEric Arthur James FKC AKC (14 April 1925 – 1 May 2012) was an Anglican priest, Chaplain Extraordinary to HM the Queen, and for many years a regular participant in the "Thought for the Day" feature of BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He was associated with St Albans Cathedral for some years.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 5, 2024
THE BIOGRAPHY OF THE "HONEST TO GOD" AUTHOR
John A.T. Robinson (1919-1983) was an author and former Anglican Bishop, as well as Dean of Trinity College until his death from cancer. He first achieved fame as the author of the book 'Honest to God,' which was written in 1963 while he was still serving as a bishop in the Anglican church in Woolrich, England.
Author Eric James wrote in the Preface of this 1987 book, "the life of a theologian is bound to be inextricably entwined with his theology; and the biographer of a theologian cannot possibly write his life and avoid his work... Writing the life of a friend who has died only recently is also painful... I had to remind myself again and again that John asked me to do what I was doing." (Pg. viii-ix)
James notes, "He was as clear as [Bishop George] Bell that his vocation was to be a Christian theologian. He also believed that his theology must be earthed in experience of the world. (That was not to say he must never be a theologian in a university. John would never imagine a university was not 'in the world.')" (Pg. 24)
He records Robinson's defense of D.H Lawrence's 'Lady Chatterly's Lover' from banning as "obscenity," on the grounds that "Lawrence did not share the Christian valuation of sex, but he was always straining to portray it as something sacred... his extraordinary sensitivity to the whole organic life of nature is not obscene... [the book is] a thoroughly adult piece of writing; but ... I would much rather my children read it than that they should take their valuation of sex from the current exploitation of it which the Government shows itself so strangely powerless or unwilling to curb." (Pg. 92-93)
Of the controversy over 'Honest to God,' James observes that the book "contained little that was surprising to those who were familiar with the writings of Bonhoeffer, Bultmann, and Tillich... [But] it was a bishop who had written 'Honest to God.' Secondly, this particular bishop had been known since November 1960... as 'The Lady Chatterly Bishop.'" (Pg. 114-115) Later, he suggests, "John probably realized that The Human Face of God was not the GREAT book on Christology he had hoped it might be possible for him to write, but it is undoubtedly a very considerable book. (Pg. 197) He notes, "Can We Trust the New Testament? (Mowbrays popular Christian paperbacks) was in fact a masterly little book: a survey of various critical approaches to the New Testament ... shot through with John's personal conviction." (Pg. 238)
He admits, "Few of John's actions led more people to think---and to say---John was concerned with the sensational, and to accuse him of gullibility, than his concern with the Shroud [of Turin]... It was of course difficult for those who had made up their minds that John was essentially iconoclastic to hear---and to bear---his insistence that the case for the Turin Shroud be heard before it was written off." (Pg. 240, 242)
This is a fascinating and sympathetic look at a very influential religious figure of the 20th century.
John A.T. Robinson (1919-1983) was an author and former Anglican Bishop, as well as Dean of Trinity College until his death from cancer. He first achieved fame as the author of the book 'Honest to God,' which was written in 1963 while he was still serving as a bishop in the Anglican church in Woolrich, England.
Author Eric James wrote in the Preface of this 1987 book, "the life of a theologian is bound to be inextricably entwined with his theology; and the biographer of a theologian cannot possibly write his life and avoid his work... Writing the life of a friend who has died only recently is also painful... I had to remind myself again and again that John asked me to do what I was doing." (Pg. viii-ix)
James notes, "He was as clear as [Bishop George] Bell that his vocation was to be a Christian theologian. He also believed that his theology must be earthed in experience of the world. (That was not to say he must never be a theologian in a university. John would never imagine a university was not 'in the world.')" (Pg. 24)
He records Robinson's defense of D.H Lawrence's 'Lady Chatterly's Lover' from banning as "obscenity," on the grounds that "Lawrence did not share the Christian valuation of sex, but he was always straining to portray it as something sacred... his extraordinary sensitivity to the whole organic life of nature is not obscene... [the book is] a thoroughly adult piece of writing; but ... I would much rather my children read it than that they should take their valuation of sex from the current exploitation of it which the Government shows itself so strangely powerless or unwilling to curb." (Pg. 92-93)
Of the controversy over 'Honest to God,' James observes that the book "contained little that was surprising to those who were familiar with the writings of Bonhoeffer, Bultmann, and Tillich... [But] it was a bishop who had written 'Honest to God.' Secondly, this particular bishop had been known since November 1960... as 'The Lady Chatterly Bishop.'" (Pg. 114-115) Later, he suggests, "John probably realized that The Human Face of God was not the GREAT book on Christology he had hoped it might be possible for him to write, but it is undoubtedly a very considerable book. (Pg. 197) He notes, "Can We Trust the New Testament? (Mowbrays popular Christian paperbacks) was in fact a masterly little book: a survey of various critical approaches to the New Testament ... shot through with John's personal conviction." (Pg. 238)
He admits, "Few of John's actions led more people to think---and to say---John was concerned with the sensational, and to accuse him of gullibility, than his concern with the Shroud [of Turin]... It was of course difficult for those who had made up their minds that John was essentially iconoclastic to hear---and to bear---his insistence that the case for the Turin Shroud be heard before it was written off." (Pg. 240, 242)
This is a fascinating and sympathetic look at a very influential religious figure of the 20th century.
September 22, 2017
Actually can't remember reading this, although I do remember details of Robinson's life
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews